Most Read

This decorative necklace is very versatile and can be worn with almost anything, from jeans and a T-shirt to a glam wedding outfit. The sparkle from the three diamanté buttons contrasts with the soft satin finish of the pearls. Look for vintage buttons in thrift stores or flea markets, or ask an elderly relative or friend if they have any that they'd be willing to part with—and if you don't want to use buttons, large beads will do just as well.

1. Cut six 12-in. (35-cm) lengths of 28-gauge (0.4mm) gold-plated wire. Group the lengths into three pairs. Thread a pair of wires through each diamanté button back. Thread a heart-shaped pearl bead onto the doubled wires on each side, then twist the wires around each other several times to fix the pearl beads in place at the back of the button.

2. Separate the doubled wires out on each side at the back of the button and, leaving a small gap, thread one wire with a pearl bead. Bring the same wire around the top of the bead and bend it back toward the opposite hole. Holding the bead firmly in place, twist the bead three or four times around the second wire to create a twisted stem about 1⁄4 in. (5mm) long.

5. Once you have threaded all three diamanté buttons in this way, place them together in a row, with the "branches" of the outer units overlapping the center one. Twist the end wires of the two outer units around the center button of the middle unit, making sure they are secured together, then cut off any excess and neaten the ends. Twist any overlapping bead stems together to create a solid unit at the front of
the necklace.

6. Using the tips of your round-nose pliers, make a small wrapped link at the outer side of each outer unit. Thread each of these links with a length of nylon filament and secure on each side with a crimp bead. The amount of filament you use depends on how long you want to make the necklace; I used about 6 in. (15 cm) on each side.